Thursday, March 6, 2025 - A Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna State has ordered the interim forfeiture of ₦1.37 billion allegedly diverted from the state government's coffers into a private account during the administration of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai. The funds, which were allegedly transferred into an account belonging to Indo Kaduna Marts JV Nigeria Limited, were part of the money allocated for a failed light rail project in Kaduna State under the previous administration.
Justice H. Buhari issued the forfeiture order on February 28, 2025,
following an ex parte application filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices
and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which traced the diverted funds
to the private account. The judge also directed the ICPC to publish a notice in
two national newspapers, inviting any individual or entity with an interest in
the funds to present their case and show cause in court as to why the money
should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.
ICPC had initially filed the ex parte application on February 14, 2025,
seeking to recover the misappropriated funds. The commission argued that the
light rail project, which the money was intended for, was never executed under
the El-Rufai administration, depriving Kaduna State residents of the
transportation system's intended benefits. In its application, filed by its
lawyer E.O. Akponimisingha, ICPC alleged that Kaduna State Government officials
funneled the funds through Indo Kaduna MRTS JV Nig Limited, a joint venture
established in 2016 between the state government and Indian investors.
The judge, while ruling on ICPC’s request, granted the interim
forfeiture and instructed the commission to issue a public notice in national
newspapers to allow any interested party to come forward with their claims. The
case has been adjourned to April 8, 2025, for a hearing where potential
claimants will have the opportunity to contest the forfeiture in court.
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